Bad socks odour – Malaria remedy

AnÂ America-Canadian funded researcher in Africa, says the odour of dirty socks can be used to lure Malaria carrying mosquitoes. A representative of a Tanzanian health institution said an experiment revealed that Mosquitoes are more attracted to the odour of filthy feet than to live humans sleeping in the same area.

He said they have formulated a synthetic mixture that smells like dirty socks to kill the Mosquitoes.

His findings have earned him a US775 000 dollarsÂ the â€˜Bill and Melinda Gates Foundationâ€™ and the Canadian (NGO) â€˜Grand Challengesâ€™ to install the synthetic mixture in Tanzanian villages to complement Mosquito nets and repellents.

90% of malaria deaths each year occur in Africa and 92% of those are children aged belowÂ five.